According to fellow nomad and author Rhys Fisher “Openness is seen as a predictor for academic and job performance, especially when combined with a strong score on conscientiousness. The "Open" generally enjoy searching for good creative solutions to problems and the Conscientious have the structure and organization to make it happen, together these two traits promise great things.”

Moreover, there is nothing quite like distance and space to make you profoundly grateful for the people and things in your life that are true gifts.

2. New cultural experiences, cuisines and traditions.

Lifelong learning, not surprisingly, is a well documented commonality among wildly successful people.Being inquisitive and excited to explore the unknown uncovers a treasure trove of new possibility and unleashes creativity.

Multicultural experience, in particularly,has been found to substantially increase creativity.It quickly becomes apparent that not only does every culture have its own tangible differences (food, architecture, etc)- there are also profound difference in the way each culture views the world.Understanding that two people can see the same thing very differently is richly rewarding and improves empathy.

If your travels require learning a new language it can also be profoundly humbling.While learning a new language is challenging for many reasons, it forces the brain to simultaneous think fast and slow, to listen more, to respond more slowly.As we’ve talked about before, reflective thinking is a powerful factor in happiness and mental wellbeing.

3. Step out of your comfort zone & find you are your own greatest support

Testing your limits by putting yourself in unfamiliar (and sometimes uncomfortable) settings or scenarios, forces trust in yourself, and a better understanding of who you are.It makes you more confident and outgoing, and above all it teaches you about self-reliance and courage.It is not surprising that the Zimmerman study showed extended travel increased emotional stability.

4. Wanderlust offers an opportunity to meet likeminded people from different walks of life.

There is often a shorthand among nomads and travellers that makes many of the formalities of building a new friendship unnecessary. A certain willingness to learn and expand one’s horizons, attracts likeminded people to uproot and find themselves drawn together in a new place. As with any time of big transition, people are more open minded and more accepting of other’s differences allowing them to overlook things that might otherwise derail a new friendship. The bonds made while abroad are further strengthened by a shared path of self-exploration and discovery.

5. Wanderlust provides an opportunity to reinvent yourself.

There is almost no better ‘fresh start’ than a new horizon.A chance to deliberately choose and shape your priorities, relationships and outlook.While you take yourself with you wherever you go, being unburdened by the bonds of familiarity and history can be a new lease on life making you feel more alive than ever.